EXECUTIVE SUMMARY - UNESCO World Heritage

iii) Natural disasters and risk preparedness
(earthquakes, fl oods, fi res, etc.)
Being situated in North and Central
Germany, the nominated component parts
are not exposed to an increased risk of
destruction by natural disaster. Earth quakes
or fl ooding are irrelevant, as are fi res in the
non-coniferous temperate forests. Although
Jasmund is situated directly at the Baltic Sea,
its plateau, which is over 100 m in height
and accounts for the greater part of the component
part, is beyond the reach of fl oods.
Th e steep coast is the only element to
be permanently exposed to wind and water,
which in this case mainly results in a unique
diversity of habitats with a specifi cally
adapted fauna and fl ora rather than only
in normal ecologic erosion processes.
Moreover, the retreats and slumps are invariably
small-scaled so that the forests at the
steep coast are un interrupted. Changes
occurring at the steep coast therefore have a
regenerative eff ect and represent the ongoing
ecological process.
Storms and hurricanes cause tree windfall
in the beech forests of the nominated component
parts, an infl uence that is a substantial
part of the beech forests’ development
cycle. In the component parts, it obviously
promotes the dynamic structural diversity of
the forest.
iv) Visitor / tourism pressures
Th e protected areas encompassing the
nominated component parts allow visitors
to experience near-natural beech forests
that are developing towards wilderness. All
areas (with the exception of Grumsin) are
predominantly visited by tourists who
want with to experience the nature of the
national parks as day visitors or holiday
guests and pursue nature-sound touristic
and / or leisure activities such as hiking or
cycling. Furthermore, students, researchers,
4. STATE OF CONSERVATION AND FACTORS AFFECTING THE PROPERTY
and other persons interested in nature visit
the areas to become acquainted with and
explore the beech forests in their most
near-natural forms. Th ey are the determining
element in the visitor structure in Grumsin.
Conclusive visitor statistics of the protected
areas and information facilities are detailed
in chapter 5.h.
None of the fi ve nominated component
parts shows any marked disturbances of the
beech forests caused by visitors. Th is is
consistently ensured by the existing visitor
management systems of the national parks
and / or biosphere reserve (see management
plan).
v) Number of inhabitants within the
property and the buff er zone
Th e component parts are unoccupied. Th ere
are neither settlements nor roads. Only the
Serrahn buff er zone is currently inhabited
by three persons. Existing for decades, the
settlement is precluded from being extended
based on the legal provisions of Müritz
National Park.
The visitor traffi c in the
protected areas does not
aff ect the beech forests in
the nominated component
parts.
There are no discernible
infl uences that might have
a direct and substantial
impact on the integrity
of the nominated beech
forests.
Nationale
Naturlandschaften
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